Conan O'Brien pays back taxes, avoids auction of Westerly home

Associated Press

Westerly, R.I. (AP) — A home owned by talk show host Conan O'Brien has been removed from a Rhode Island auction after he paid some back taxes on the property.

Town officials tell The Westerly Sun that O'Brien paid his $8,000 bill on Friday morning.

The property near the Westerly shore is valued at about $723,000. It was among several the town planned to auction Tuesday to settle delinquent tax bills.

O'Brien publicist Drew Shane issued a statement saying O'Brien had been unaware he owed back taxes. He blamed the problem on a clerical error that prevented the bill from reaching O'Brien's accountant in Los Angeles.

The 51-year-old O'Brien grew up in neighboring Massachusetts and graduated from Harvard.